Kochi, 05 Jan (H.S.):The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Sabarimala gold heist is set to submit its fourth interim progress report before the Kerala High Court on Monday.

The matter will be taken up by the High Court’s Devaswom Bench, which has been closely monitoring the pace and direction of the investigation amid concerns over delays.

SIT Superintendent of Police S. Sashidharan will appear in person before the court to apprise the judges of the latest developments. The submission follows sharp criticism from the bench during the previous hearing on December 3, when the court expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as a slowdown in the probe after the arrest of former Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar.

In response to the court’s observations, the SIT intensified its investigation, leading to the arrest of former Devaswom Board member Vijayakumar. Subsequently, the probe team questioned former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran and former Devaswom Board president P. S. Prasanth as part of efforts to ascertain administrative and political links, if any, to the alleged misappropriation of gold offerings.

According to sources, the progress report to be submitted today will include detailed information on the arrests of Vijayakumar, Smart Creation CEO Pankaj Pandari, and another accused, Govardhan. The SIT is also expected to brief the court on the line of inquiry pursued following allegations raised by senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and a businessman friend of his based abroad, who had claimed the existence of an inter-State antique smuggling racket with possible links to the Sabarimala case.

As part of this angle, investigators questioned D. Mani, a Tamil Nadu native, and gathered inputs regarding suspected cross-border movement of antiquities and valuables. Officials said the findings from these interrogations will also form part of the report being placed before the bench.

The court has granted the SIT time until January 17 to complete the investigation. The Devaswom Bench is expected to review the progress report in detail and issue further directions, if necessary, to ensure that the probe proceeds expeditiously and transparently in a case that has drawn wide public attention due to its religious and administrative significance at Sabarimala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman